MULTICENTER TRIALS IN SEPSIS AND SEPTIC SHOCK - NECESSARY PREREQUISITES ELABORATED ON THE TRIAL OF SUPPLEMENTAL IMMUNOGLOBULIN THERAPY OF PILZ ET-AL - DISCUSSION

A multicentre trial on the effect of IgG therapy on survival of patien ts in sepsis and septic shock is used as an example to discuss the lim itations and short-comings of multicentre trials as they are currently performed in the field of sepsis and septic shock. This comment focus es mainly on the ''case-mix'' and ''treatment-mix'' problem. It is hyp othesized that further methodological standards are needed to demonstr ate potential benefits of novel therapeutic drugs in multicentre trial s.